


jasmine and marble

by Meridas



Series: you are my sunshine [3]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, Other, Soft Bathhouse Shenanigans, Timestamp, let Molly have bath bombs 2k19, rated for some kissing in the bath but nothing more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 06:54:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17544818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meridas/pseuds/Meridas
Summary: Adventuring is a hard business, and after a tough quest Molly just wants a hot bath and some time spent with his soulmate.





	jasmine and marble

**Author's Note:**

> another little soulmate au timestamp! this one is nothing but fluff as far as the eye can see. 
> 
> Thank you steelneena for beta work!! <3

Molly sighs happily at the private bath awaiting him. Their latest task had sent them north once again, to the grueling Pride’s Call mountain range. Molly feels bruised all over and covered in dust by the end of their mission, and he wastes no time in grabbing Caleb’s hand and making for the best bathhouse in town. The establishment is underground, like many things in these mountains, but the private bath he’s secured for the two of them is lovely. The ceiling glitters far above them, reflecting magical lamplight like starlight. The pool in the center of the floor it set from shining white rock, gently circulating with steam rising from the surface.

“Oh, this is everything I wanted,” Molly sighs. He drops his towel right to the floor and scampers toward the basket of oils and soaps and goodies by the side of the bath. The two of them are freshly rinsed free of blood and dirt, and now Molly wants to indulge.

He hears Caleb slip into the water with a sigh. “Alright, this was a good idea,” he sighs. “I feel like I haven’t been warm in days.”

Molly picks up a bath fizz from the basket and sniffs it curiously. It’s floral and sweet, with a slight undercurrent of something nicely herbal. There’s a soap nearby, creamy and smelling like vanilla, that would smell lovely along with it. After wandering through the dank underdark killing things and sweating for four days straight, Molly wants to smell like a bakery, damn it. He sets the citrus one down and lobs the floral ball into the bath.

Caleb, eyes closed and not anticipating any antics, yelps as the water splashes into his face. Molly laughs and slips into the water as the bath ball begins to froth and spill pale pink color and jasmine-scented oils into the water. Delight bubbles up in his chest, the simple joy of having a hot bath and a relaxing afternoon with Caleb. He stretches luxuriously in the water, just barely able to touch the opposite side of the bath with his toes if he sinks down to his chin.

He sits up and bobs over to Caleb’s side. The water swirls after him, now a gentle milky pink color. Caleb looks so content, his eyes half-open to track Molly’s presence, a tiny smile lifting up the corner of his mouth.

Molly leans in and puts a gentle kiss right at the corner of that smile. “Hello,” he murmurs. The room has a nice, calming echo to it, filled with the susurrus of the swirling water and the softened, indistinct reverberation of his voice.

“ _Hallo_ , Mollymauk,” Caleb returns, his smile growing. Under the water, his hand finds Molly’s waist and pulls him in. Molly lets himself be pulled into Caleb’s lap and loops his tail around his waist. He reaches up and cups Caleb’s face in his palm, brings him into a soft kiss. One of Caleb’s hands trails up and down his spine, and Molly sighs happily, parting his lips to deepen the kiss. Caleb holds him closer and licks into his mouth, letting out a soft groan. Pressing closer, Molly pushes his hands into Caleb’s hair and shifts to straddle his lap. His tail swishes happily through the water, sending little splashing noises and the occasional soft moan echoing quietly back to them.

Caleb’s hands slide from his waist up his chest, spanning across his ribs. His thumbs run lightly across Molly’s nipples, sending a shiver of pleasure through him, and Molly scrapes his teeth along his lip. Caleb groans and flicks across his nipples again, then slides his hands back down to Molly’s waist.

Molly breaks the kiss, lingering to press his lips to Caleb’s cheek, temple, and one more back to his lips. He pulls away, breathing hard. “I didn’t _actually_ mean to bring you here to defile a bath,” he admits, almost laughing. Caleb grins up at him, his eyes crinkling slightly.

Molly shifts again, sitting across Caleb’s lap. He loops his tail around Caleb’s knee and takes one of Caleb’s hands in both of his. With a little hum, he presses Caleb’s hand over his heart and leans into his chest. He closes his eyes and breathes deeply, relaxing and feeling their heartbeat slow and calm. Caleb’s arm winds around his back, and his lips press gently against Molly’s forehead.

Molly drifts for a while, comfortably warm and languid in the floral bathwater. The heat sinks into his skin, easing the bruises and relaxing his aching muscles. Caleb’s fingers trail gently along his skin occasionally, made soft and silky by the bath oils.

Eventually, Caleb kisses the tip of Molly’s nose, rousing him somewhat. “Get your hair wet, I’ll wash it for you.”

Molly slowly unwinds himself from Caleb and slides deeper into the water in front of him. He dips his head back and swishes his hair through the water. With his head mostly under the water everything is muffled, but as he holds still for a moment he can hear their heartbeat echoing in his ears. He smiles as he sits up again.

Caleb’s fingers weave into his hair, gently rubbing in the sweet-smelling shampoo. His thumbs rub firmly up from the base of Molly’s skull, and Molly turns into a puddle of tiefling in his hands. He lets his head loll back further into the touch. A brief kiss touches the top of his forehead before Caleb’s hands get back to rubbing firmly at his scalp. He eases up on the pressure at the base of Molly’s horns, just rubbing in gentle circles with his thumbs. Molly feels a quiet purr rumbling in his throat.

Caleb takes his sweet time with Molly’s hair. He runs through three different soaps and concoctions, filling the room with the smell of strawberries and roses and leaving Molly half-asleep and blissful once again. He takes great care untangling and running his fingers through Molly’s hair until it feels smooth as silk, and gives him a soft warning each time he needs to rinse the soap out, and every once in a while places a quick kiss against Molly’s face.

“It’s getting long,” Caleb muses, finally easing Molly into a proper sitting position. “Are you going to let it grow?”

“That’s the plan,” Molly says. He shakes off his stupor a little more and turns to face Caleb. “I think it’ll look nice that way.”

Caleb smoothes a wet lock of hair back into place. “I agree.”

Molly leans in and kisses him again. He places his hand lightly against Caleb’s collarbone. “Okay to touch, today?” he asks quietly. “I’d very much like to return the massage, love, but only if you’re up for it.”

Caleb catches Molly’s hand and turns it over, pressing a kiss to his palm. “ _Ja_ , today is good,” he assures him. He pushes away from the wall, letting Molly scoot in behind him. Molly smoothes his hands up Caleb’s back and gently along his shoulders.

“Let me know if it changes, okay?” he says, and drops a quick kiss on Caleb’s shoulder before reaching back to the soap basket. He pulls out a pale yellow bar with a nice, nubbly texture to one side, and passes it to Caleb. “Seem okay?”

Caleb considers the texture, rubs it between his palms. He then sniffs it curiously, and Molly grins. “I don’t mean to make you smell like a perfumery, don’t worry.”

“It’s nice,” Caleb says, handing it back. He settles comfortably between Molly’s legs, letting out a slow sigh. Molly presses his lips against Caleb’s temple, then slowly and surely starts working the silky bar across his shoulders.

Caleb relaxes into his hands in increments. His wizard carries so much tension all the time, and it’s rare that he lets Molly try to take it off him like this. So he savors the moment, not rushing through any of the familiar motions as he presses firmly and carefully across Caleb’s tensed muscles. He knows the places to be firm and where to be gentle, now, gliding across his scarred arms and shoulders, pressing his thumbs deep around Caleb’s overworked back muscles. He takes his time loosening the back of his neck and his upper shoulders, where Caleb often carries pain from hunching over his books no matter how many times Molly reminds him of it. He knows what a gift it is, this kind of trust that Caleb gives him. To be able to touch him and have him relax instead of tense is a treasure that Molly counts himself lucky for every day.

Finally, Molly sets the diminished bar aside and wraps his arms around Caleb from behind. His wizard settles back against him with a sign of contentment, and Molly hides his proud smile in Caleb’s hair. The water is still delightfully warm, kept hot by magical glyphs in the stone, and they have plenty of time. One of Caleb’s hands comes up to cover Molly’s where it rests on his stomach, and Molly turns his hand over to thread their fingers together.

He plans to stay just like this, with his soulmate in his arms in a cozy hot bath, for as long as they can stand it. They have time for this.


End file.
